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Bear Claw Par 3
by Mat Leclair
| Links Corner Course Database ID Number - 983 |
Release Date |
CRZ Filesize |
Par |
Course Length |
| 2002-07-26 |
25,370,678 bytes |
54 |
2988 yards |
| Type |
Style |
CRZ Filename |
|
FICTIONAL Par 3 Course |
WOODLAND |
Bear Claw.crz |
| Course ID |
Course Key |
| 4a18e67dad8d46ab864da6bf4781787e |
59f7095cf62b2d9e01b5fa8600f424b2 |
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LINKS CORNER REVIEW |
Reviewed by
Mike Nifong
August 2002
Course type: Bear Claw Par 3 is an 18-hole par-3 course set in a predominately pine forest in the Carolina-Tennessee area. In fact, it could probably be considered a sister course to Mat's earlier Carolina Pines, as they share the same Brian Silvernail pano, similar topography and planting, and perhaps a clubhouse - the brick building depicted on the Carolina Pines splash screen looks suspiciously like the Bear Claw clubhouse (okay, it is the same building, and one you will have seen before).
Historical perspective: Released on July 26, 2002, Bear Claw is Mat's sixth course overall (his first, TPC of Hawaii, was released under the name Mathieu), and his second par-3 course (Dark Pines, his first par-3 course, was also the first course he released under the name Mat). In the interim between the two par-3 courses, Mat has gained a reputation both as one who turns out attractive courses with very modest file sizes (the good), and as one who turns out multiple versions of each course (the not-so-good). Including beta versions (perhaps I should say despite beta versions), he has released Castle Rock three times, White Wolf three times, and (counting its previous incarnation as Carolina Pines) Pine National five times. As I recall, each re-release has been occasioned by issues with the planting (e.g., slow rendering times due to the density of the underplanting in Carolina Pines, corrupted planting in Pine National, etc.).
While it is possible that Mat has lost some fans with his frequent revisions, it is generally true that the subsequent changes have been improvements (I still prefer the original Carolina Pines to the later versions). It is also true that the final version of each of his courses since TPC of Hawaii has been well received by both the official reviewers (LC review scores of 81 to 87) and the users (three to five stars). As of this writing, Bear Claw Par 3 enjoys a four-star user rating.
For what it is worth, I still have all of Mat's courses except TPC of Hawaii on my HD, including the now-deleted January 22, 2002, version of Carolina Pines.
What is included: Other than a brief read-me and the obligatory cameo and splash screen, nothing. There are no hole previews, although if ever a course could do without them it would be a par-3 course like this, where the pin and the hazards that must be negotiated are all visible off the tee. Still, it would have been nice to have, if nothing else, some information on the green profiles. There is also no tournament option (no crowds or tournament objects).
Technical merit:
Those of you familiar with Mat's previous courses will not be surprised to find his ever-improving technical skills quite accomplished by now. I did see a couple of very minor shadows in the top view that were totally invisible in the main view, being obscured by the planting. There does seem to be a scaling problem, however, with the fox that appears to the left of the #14 and #16 tees: in real life, a red fox grows no larger than about 15 pounds, but the one on Bear Claw must weigh in at least 50 by appearance (not to mention that red foxes are especially shy animals that are rarely seen in the day time despite their relative commonness - I would be more than a little concerned about rabies in one this bold).
Artistic achievement:
As those of you who are familiar with Mat's previous courses know, he has an undeniable style, which extends to such things as the lettering on the splash screens. Since the majority of his courses have been woodland venues, and since he has continuously tweaked them, he has that style pretty much down pat, and it really shows here. This is a beautiful, extremely realistic looking course, his best effort thus far. Textures and colors are perfect for the geographical setting, and the pine forest is about as good as it gets.
The views off the tees are never less than lovely, and they can be quite picturesque (the relatively tame landscape rules out spectacular, but no one should be disappointed with what is here). Often elevated, and occasionally with stone terracing, the back tees give a very good perspective on the holes. There are no cart paths - who needs them on such a short course? - but walking paths meander through the deep grass (labeled 'prairie') from the tees to the greens. A very nice touch. The planting in general is perfectly balanced in terms of such considerations as density and color contrast.
The bunkers are very nicely done, although the edges vary (presumably intentionally) from a well defined, rolled lip to a flat, lipless look, often in the same bunker. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose, but it does look a little unusual. Water hazards range from the above average to the superb - that little stream that flows along the right side of #7 gets it just right.
Also deserving of special mention is the treatment given to boulders and rock outcroppings. On many courses, these look like they were plopped down as an afterthought, bearing no relationship to the terrain. Here they look like natural features of the landscape - obstacles that were too big to move, so the course architect worked around them. That seam of rock running down the side of #7 (again; can you tell what my favorite hole was?) looks about as realistic as I have seen with the APCD.
Play value:
One of the less obvious virtues of a nine-hole par-3 course, like the Augusta National Par 3, is the fact that it is possible to design nine consecutive par-3 holes without repeating oneself. Maintaining that same originality over eighteen holes, however, especially if plausible realism is also a goal, is another matter altogether. To his credit, Mat has designed a layout that will make you use every iron in your bag. Moreover, he has set up the holes so that they often play between two clubs, making you choose between hitting the more lofted club harder than you usually would or easing up a bit on the less lofted one - either way, you are a little out of your comfort zone. But you still get the feeling, and more than once, that you have seen a particular hole before.
You will also not find any holes on which par is as good a score as you can reasonably expect. 'Now you get 18 chances at a hole-in-one,' proclaims the splash screen. All well and good, but I would have liked to see one or two holes which required at least a 5W - and preferably a 3W - with a proportionately sized green where you could find yourself in a position from which a two-putt would be a relief.
That is not to say that the greens are easy. Indeed, while the slopes and the pin placements are quite reasonable, Mat has made the greens very challenging on long birdie putts, with tiers and ridges and slopes that make the ball run away from the pin, so chances for birdie are largely dependent upon placing your tee shot on the right part of the green for a particular pin placement (this is where hole previews could have been helpful). In short, the greens are excellent. I just never felt, once on the putting surface, that I was in much danger of failing to get into the hole in two strokes.
It probably will not surprise you that Bear Claw Par 3 plays a little on the easy side under benign conditions. The bunkers are well placed, those in front of the greens often quite deep as well, but usually avoidable in the absence of a stiff wind, and at any rate not particularly hard to play out of. The greens also often have a generous apron of safe landing area on at least one side, but there is not much rough before you reach the deep stuff, and play from there is very unpredictable. The computer players managed a combined -42 (-7 to -14) in b/m/m/m conditions, landing their tee shots on the putting surface 91% of the time (88-94%). But Bear Claw showed surprising bite in w/f/f/d conditions, under which they were -19 (-3 to -6), hitting the greens only 60% (50-66%) of the time. #7, in particular, had teeth in the wind: three of their four tee shots found the stream (leading to a bogey and two double bogeys). #15 played tough regardless of conditions; #6 was just the opposite, posing little challenge.
The bottom line: If you think you have room for only one par-3 course, then your choice has to be the Lee Harris/Eddie Schmidt version of the Augusta National Par 3, which is not only the best par-3 course available, but also one of the best of any description. But if you are looking for an attractive and well-designed course that will give you the opportunity to try out just about all of your iron shots and a variety of putts as well, this little gem merits your attention.
Course statistics: Par 54; 2 sets of tees; 2988 yards from back tees; holes are not handicapped. |
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